Before You Start
This is the Wati-specific version of our general provider migration guide. Read that one for the underlying mechanics; this covers what is particular to Wati and how its concepts map onto Tenreply.
Two things to confirm first:
- Your WhatsApp Business Account is under your own Meta Business Manager. Check Business Settings, then Accounts, then WhatsApp Accounts. Wati customers normally own their WABA, which makes this straightforward.
- You have access to the registered phone number for the verification code at cutover.
Your number, display name, business verification, green tick and quality rating all stay with you. Templates, flows and history do not transfer automatically.
What to Export From Wati
Do this while your Wati subscription is still active — do not cancel first.
- Contacts. Export as CSV from the Contacts section. Open the file and confirm custom attributes and tags are actually present, not just names and numbers.
- Template content. Copy the exact body text, header, footer, button configuration and variable order for every template you use. You will resubmit these.
- Chatbot and keyword-action definitions. Screenshot or document each flow's logic. These are not portable.
- Canned replies / quick replies. Copy the text.
- Conversation history for any threads you need for compliance or context.
- Broadcast lists and segments — note the criteria, not just the membership.
How Wati Concepts Map to Tenreply
| In Wati | In Tenreply |
|---|---|
| Team Inbox | Shared inbox — same idea, plus Instagram, Messenger and web chat in the same queue |
| Chatbot / Keyword Action | Flow builder (visual, multi-step) and Automation rules (keyword, time, attribute triggers) |
| Broadcast | Broadcasts, with the same approved-template requirement |
| Contact attributes | Custom fields on contacts |
| Tags | Tags |
| Assignee | Assignment, with rules and SLA tracking |
| Templates | Templates — submitted through Tenreply to Meta |
| (no direct equivalent) | Deal pipelines — Kanban sales stages attached to conversations |
| Wati APIs | REST API, webhooks, plus native Zapier, n8n and Make |
The main conceptual addition is that channels other than WhatsApp land in the same inbox, so "which tool do I check" stops being a question.
The Migration Sequence
- Create your Tenreply account and connect it to your existing Meta Business Manager. Do not register the number yet.
- Import contacts from your Wati CSV, mapping custom attributes to Tenreply custom fields as you go.
- Invite your team. There is no seat limit during beta, so bring everyone in — including people who were reading forwarded screenshots because a Wati seat cost money.
- Submit your templates and wait for Meta approval. Do this before cutover. Without approved templates you cannot initiate conversations after the switch.
- Rebuild flows and automation. Use your documented Wati logic. Most teams find they only need a subset of what they had.
- Optionally test on a second number to validate everything end to end before touching production.
- Pick a quiet window, deregister the number from Wati, then immediately register it in Tenreply and complete phone verification.
- Verify: inbound message, outbound message, one template send, webhooks firing, assignment working.
- Cancel Wati — only now, once you have confirmed everything works.
Pricing: What Actually Changes
Wati starts at around 49 dollars per month at the time of writing, with seat-based tiers. Tenreply is free during beta with unlimited seats and no credit card.
Being straight about what that means: this is beta pricing, not a permanent free tier. Tenreply will introduce paid plans at general availability, with advance notice by email and in-product, and there is no card on file so nothing can charge automatically. Beta teams get preferential treatment when plans launch.
What does not change either way: Meta's conversation charges. Those are billed per conversation by country and category on every provider, and no platform can discount them. If your Wati invoice included WhatsApp conversation costs, budget for those to continue — the conversation calculator will estimate them.
Mistakes to Avoid
- Cancelling Wati before cutover. You lose export access and your rollback path.
- Cutting over with unapproved templates. The most common cause of a self-inflicted outage.
- Migrating during a campaign or peak hours.
- Assuming chatbots transfer. They do not. Document them first.
- Not checking the contacts CSV for custom attributes before relying on it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I lose my green tick moving from Wati?
No. It is attached to your WhatsApp Business Account, which stays yours.
Does my Wati quality rating carry over?
Yes — rating and messaging limit tier follow the number, good or bad.
How long does the whole migration take?
Typically a few days end to end, dominated by rebuilding automation and waiting on template approval. The cutover itself is usually under thirty minutes.
Can I run Wati and Tenreply at the same time?
Not on the same number — a number can only be active on one platform. You can run Tenreply on a test number alongside production Wati, which is the recommended way to evaluate.
Is there migration help?
Yes. Contact hello@tenreply.com and we will help with contact import, template resubmission and flow rebuild.
Export First, Cut Over Last
Everything about a smooth migration happens before the cutover: export while you have access, submit templates early, rebuild flows in parallel, and cancel Wati only after you have sent a real message. Create a Tenreply account and set it up alongside Wati before you switch anything. Comparing first? See Tenreply vs Wati.